Terry and John Chapman over Christmas weekend 2001. It was the last day Terry Chapman saw her son before he was killed in combat in Afghanistan.

Courtesy of Terry Chapman

Even when he was a toddler, John Chapman wanted to take care of others. When his mom, Terry, was upset, he'd put his hands on her face and tell her, "It's okay, mommy."

That compassionate spirit led John Chapman into a 17-year military career with the Air Force. The 36-year-old technical sgt. died in combat in Afghanistan in 2002 after retrieving the body of a fallen soldier.

This month, Terry Chapman will travel from Colorado Springs to Washington, D.C. to watch the as John Chapman's wife accepts his Medal of Honor. He is the first airman to receive the country's highest military honor since the Vietnam War.